The Illumination Foundation held its ninth annual Children’s Carnival on Saturday, July 30 at La Palma Park in Anaheim, welcoming over 1,000 homeless and at-risk children and families.
The event featured carnival rides, children’s activities, games, a petting zoo, pony rides, live music, a walking tour, folk dancers, delicious food and more. There was a Meet and Greet with Stormtroopers, Ghostbusters, walkers and the Anaheim Ducks’ Wild Wing mascot.
The kids were able to meet the Ghostbusters at the carnival. Photo by Sara Kil.
The community came together to provide a carefree summer day of family fun that these kids and families wouldn’t otherwise get to experience. This year marked the 9th Annual Carnival, which brought together community sponsors, businesses, donors and volunteers to make this day special. All funds raised prior to this date go to fund child and family programs, including before and after school enrichment programs, parent and me classes for younger ages, family experiences, and family counseling known as Home Stabilization. Many of these programs rely on funding from private donations and grants.
As of the 2022 point-in-time count, 389 households (486 adults and 715 children) live on the streets in Orange County. Homeless families are struggling to meet basic needs. Children face high levels of trauma due to unstable living conditions.
The Illumination Foundation brought together volunteers, community partners and corporations to ensure that parents and children left the carnival with school supplies and connections to vital community resources.
Kids Carnival sponsors included Farmers & Merchants Bank, Prospera Hotels, Inc, Kaiser Permanente Orange County, Jacqueline DuPont-Carlson & Marc Carlson, West Coast University, Appliance World/Mattress Sales Inc, The Schneider Family, Edwards Lifesciences, CalOptima, LuAnn Campo, West-Tech Materials, The Rosendin Foundation, The Geo Group Inc, IF Gleam Team and Geico. Bracken’s Kitchen provided refreshments for all in attendance.
The Illumination Foundation offers different types of housing, including emergency housing, bridging housing and micro-communities. They combine housing with comprehensive services, such as housing navigation to encourage long-term housing stability and connect clients to permanent housing.
All proceeds benefit homeless families in Orange County. For more information visit https://ifhomeless.org/.
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